Situational awareness and fatigue management are significant considerations within the aviation industry. These considerations are applicable to commercial aviation (e.g., larger aircraft), especially for single pilot operations, for operations within instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), or for operations within complex airspace, such as busier airports in the National Airspace System (e.g., Class B Airspace).
These considerations are also applicable to “general aviation” (e.g., smaller aircraft, or “GA”), which often involve single pilot operations without autopilot, and therefore without the protections provided by autopilot automation. Additionally, acquisition cost or certification of autopilot in older aircraft may prevent installing autopilot on selected makes or models of GA airplanes.
Situational awareness and fatigue management are significant considerations beyond the aviation industry, such as applications in commercial trucking, maritime tanker, military applications, or other applications. Situational awareness may include real-time guidance information, which may be provided to a vehicle operator (e.g., pilots, drivers). For example, guidance information may include a heading correction (e.g., instruction to climb, descend, turn left, or turn right), and the heading correction information may be delivered in radio silence. Delivering a heading correction in radio silence may prevent the need for an operator to reference another instrument, allowing vision to be maintained on external focal points or other targets. Guidance information may also be provided to a third party (e.g. dispatcher, mission planner, control center, air traffic control, another company location, or other interested stakeholder) to monitor or provide additional navigation direction. Some awareness solutions may be used by private citizens who drive long distances or who are prone to driving while drowsy. Similarly, the insurance industry may have substantial interest in situational awareness and fatigue management, as it may be used to improve safety and reduce risks of operator accident or operator error due to fatigue or physiological impairment.
What is needed in the art is an improvement to situational awareness and fatigue management for vehicle operators.